1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to antennas for receiving broadcast signals such as television signals, and more specifically relates to television antennas for receiving digitally formatted broadcast signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional indoor TV antenna systems generally include two separate antennas for respective VHF and UHF reception. The antenna for receiving the VHF bands employs a pair of telescopic elements forming a dipole with each of the elements having a maximum length of from 4 to 6 feet (1.5 to 2.5 m). The two elements usually are mounted to permit the elements to be spread apart to increase or shorten the dipole length and those elements are commonly referred to as “rabbit ears.” The indoor UHF antenna typically is a loop having a diameter of about 7½ inches (20 cm).
One problem associated with the conventional indoor antenna systems is that the physical dimension of the VHF dipole is undesirably long for the ordinary setting in a living room and that the length as well as the direction of the dipole elements may need to be adjusted depending upon the receiving channels. A second problem is that the performance of such conventional indoor VHF/UHF antennas changes in response to changes of the physical conditions around the antenna elements. For example, it is difficult for a user to make proper adjustment of the antennas since a human body coming into contact with an antenna changes the electro-magnetic conditions associated with the antenna elements.
A third problem is that the conventional indoor antenna systems do not always provide a sufficient signal level for good reception.
A fourth problem associated with the “rabbit ears” antenna is that, while it is currently functional, it is far from being aesthetically attractive and its large size makes it difficult to conceal.
A fifth problem associated with the aforementioned antenna is that it is not well-suited for receiving digitally formatted, high definition, broadcast television signals.
NTSC (National Television Standards Committee) broadcast signals were adopted by the United States in 1941 as the standardized television broadcasting and video format which is currently in use. The NTSC signals are analog signals. However, the NTSC analog format was phased out on Jun. 12, 2009, and all TV broadcasting signals have been changed to an ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) digital format. The ATSC standard for digital television has been adopted by the United States and several other countries.
As a result, the television receiver antenna has become a critical element for the new digital TV reception system in order to receive all new digital TV channels which are mainly in the UHF (ultra high frequency) band, with some channels being in the upper VHF (very high frequency) band covering conventional TV channels 7 to 13. Without a good omni-directional TV antenna, consumers will not be able to receive all of the digital ATSC signals with the broadcast format change that has come about. Most conventional indoor or outdoor antennas only receive the signals when the antenna is pointed in the direction of the TV broadcasting station; otherwise, the converter box or ATSC television only show a blank screen on the television. With the analog NTSC broadcast signals, consumers still were able to see some pictures or snowy images when the antenna was not pointed into the right direction, and consumers could still rotate the antenna to the right direction by watching the picture quality change the display on the television. Digital televisions that receive ATSC signals either display a picture or a blank or dark screen, and thus provide no indication that alert consumers that they should rotate the antenna to achieve better channel reception in the same area.